Internships at Cardiff EDC

The Cardiff EDC offers a number of opportunities to work for short periods in the Centre as an intern. It should be noted that these are offered on a volunteer / unpaid basis (see External Funding below).

Internships are open to anyone from an EU Member State (or from a candidate / potential candidate country). We will also consider applicants from outside these countries who have a particular wish to work in a centre that specialises in European information.

Applicants must be proficient in the English language (speaking and writing).

Typically, interns at the Cardiff EDC are:

students of European Studies, Politics, Law, Communication Studies or any other subject with a 'European' dimension

students of Librarianship / Information Studies

wanting to improve their language skills in the UK in a 'European' environment and/or in a special library.

We also welcome applications from students studying in Cardiff who wish to gain some work experience on a part-time basis in an environment with a strong focus on Europe and the European Union.

*March 2015 update*

The current position is as follows:

Full-time Internships: We have now filled all available full-time internships until October 2015. We have also offered three provisional places for the period October-December 2015. Occasionally we have short notice cancellations so you can still enquire for the period April-December 2015 to see if a vacancy has arisen.

We have one provisional acceptance for the period January-March 2016. We are open to further applications for full-time internships for the period from January 2016 onwards.

We prefer requests for longer internships (usually up to six months) from students with a high standard of English language proficiency and an interest / knowledge in the EU and European issues. We will also consider applications if you wish to stay for a shorter period. It is essential that you receive an ERASMUS+ grant or equivalent form of funding.

As a full-time intern you will be an integral part of the small Cardiff EDC team taking part in EDC events and contributing on a daily basis to the compilation of European Sources Online.

Part-time Internships: We accepted a total of thirteen part-time interns for the academic year 2014-2015. We are now open for applications for the summer vacation and the academic year 2015-16. We have already offered five places for the period 2015-16.

As a part-time intern you will work for three hours a week during the semester in the EDC and also help to organise and participate in a number of evening events. Students visiting Cardiff on an ERASMUS exchange are welcome, as well as UK-based students.

Read the reports of previous interns below to give you an idea of what an internship at the Cardiff EDC is all about.

Any initial application to us should contain a CV and motivational letter explaining why you want an internship specifically at the Cardiff EDC and for what time period. Send by email to edc@cardiff.ac.uk.

What does it take to be a successful intern?

Experience has shown that the following qualities make for the most successful interns at the Cardiff EDC:

a good existing knowledge of the EU and Europe in general

a good existing awareness of information sources relating to these topics

good IT skills and familiarity with social media formats such as Facebook

an outgoing and friendly manner

interest or experience in working in the media or in other aspects of information and communication.

You do not necessarily need all these skills in equal measure, but this is what we look for in the CVs and motivation letters of applicants.

We are looking for interns who wish to work with us for at least three months, although we are prepared to consider shorter stays.

We can also take on part-time interns, who generally work one half day a week for a set period.

What can you expect from an internship at Cardiff EDC?

You will have the opportunity to become a member of the small team of staff who work in the Cardiff EDC for a short period (1-6 months). You will be introduced to, and participate in, the activities of the Centre such as:

You will be given full training in any activity you undertake and will work under the guidance of a permanent member of staff.

There will be the optional opportunity for you to spend some time working on a topic or project of your own choosing.

We hope you will enjoy your time at the Cardiff EDC, and gain some of the following benefits:

experience working in one of the leading European information centres in Europe

learn more about the European Union and the countries of Europe

improve your language skills

enhance your CV and future work prospects.

Living in Cardiff

You will need to arrange your own accommodation in Cardiff*, although we can offer advice such as the names of budget hotels and/or hotels near the university. Low-cost self catering accommodation is available from Cardiff University during the summer vacation - contact residences@cardiff.ac.uk. You can also contact this email address to ask for weekly updated lists of private sector accommodation that might be suitable.

*If you are visiting as part of a Leonardo funded placement your accommodation in Cardiff will be arranged by ECTARC.

Cardiff University can sometimes provide accommodation during the academic year – please contact residences@cardiff.ac.uk. You must highlight that you will be working in the Cardiff EDC on an unpaid internship and that Ian Thomson, Cardiff EDC Director, will be your supervisor.

The university estimates that bed and breakfast accommodation in local establishments will cost approximately £30-£40 a night and hotels charge £50-£105 a night. See also Visit Cardiff.

We recommend when you arrive in Cardiff that you register with a local doctor, details of which can be found at the website of the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. It is also important that you bring a current European Health Insurance Card – you should apply for this in your own country. The EHIC makes it easier for people from the EU Member States plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland to access healthcare services during temporary visits abroad.

External funding

While internships at the Cardiff EDC are unpaid, it is sometimes possible to receive external financial support through such schemes as:

Christopher Langen, June-July 2010

Part of my Masters programme 'English Studies' at the Freie Universität Berlin is to analyse contemporary cultural concepts, e.g. national identity and its relation to the Loss of Empire and the European Union. During my work as a Foreign Language Assistant for German in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, in 2009-10, I realised that British public opinion towards the European Union differs from that of other European countries I had previously experienced.

This gave me an incentive for research in this field and I had some interesting and informative conversations with Andy Klom, the Head of the European Commission's Representation in Wales, and Ian Thomson, Director of the Cardiff EDC and Executive Editor of European Sources Online (ESO). When Ian Thomson offered me an internship to pursue this research further and to contribute to the existing service of the EDC and ESO I gladly accepted it.

Veronika Brazdilova, August 2010

I am studying for a Masters degree in Communication at Science Po Paris and I'm interested in the European Union. That is the reason why I have an interest in the European Information and Documentation Centres. And I wanted to come to the UK to improve my language skills. The website of the European Documentation Centre in Cardiff seemed to me very well done and I got a feeling that the centre is very active. That is why I decided to apply for a month's internship.

Nadja Kalinna and Felix Franke, August-September 2010

During our apprenticeship in Germany to become specialists in media and information services we did a six week internship in the European Documentation Centre in Cardiff. We wanted to improve our knowledge about libraries, library systems and information / documentation centres. In order to achieve these goals we were given several tasks within the EDC.

Helen Halbert, November 2010

I will be completing a Masters degree in library and information sciences at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada in 2011 and decided to take the opportunity to combine travel with practical work experience before officially beginning my programme of study, so I applied to Cardiff University to undertake a variety of placements in the field. My internship with the European Documentation Centre during the month of November was the first of three.

George Gurescu, January-April 2011

My internship at the European Documentation Centre at Cardiff University seemed to be like a double challenge for me. First: three months in another country, all alone, in a city where I've never been before. Second: let's say that I am interested in EU issues and politics, but is this enough for me to manage this internship? And now, after those three months spent with the extraordinary team of the Cardiff EDC, I can tell you that I won that challenge.

Johanna Kämäräinen, May–September 2011

Part of my studies of International Business in Lahti University of Applied Sciences, Finland, is an internship done abroad. My interest in the European Union led me eventually to the European Documentation Centre in Cardiff and I was so pleased when I was accepted and given the opportunity to be part of their team for five months from May to September 2011.

Jorge Montesdeoca Pérez, October 2011-February 2012

I came to Cardiff in 2010 in order to take a Masters degree in European Studies at Cardiff University. Even though I had a legal background and I had worked as a lawyer in the city of Barcelona, I have always been really interested in the study of politics, and particularly in the European integration process.

After finishing my Masters degree in the summer of 2011 I was granted some funding by the Canary Island Government with the goal of gaining practical experience in an institution related to the European integration process. Because I felt comfortable in the city of Cardiff I decided to stay here. I was so lucky that I was able to find a place like the Cardiff EDC which met all the requirements for my practical experience.

Hélène Louis, October 2011-March 2012

In order to complete my Masters in European and International Studies at Université Paul Verlaine, Metz, France (now part of the Université de Lorraine), I was required to do an internship. This internship would be the last one before I start working so the first aim was to confirm my professional objectives.

After having completed three internships in the private sector, I decided to pursue my research in a European environment. In the past, I had been to Cardiff twice and really enjoyed the city and Wales in general. So the perfect match seemed to be doing this internship in the European Documentation Centre located in Cardiff. I am really glad with this choice because this internship brought me a lot of knowledge and also confirmed my professional objectives.

Lucas Goetz, February-July 2012

Prior to joining the Cardiff EDC for a six month work placement in February 2012, as part of my European Studies bachelor degree at the Hague University of Applied Sciences, I tried to imagine what this work placement would be like. As I reflect back upon it, I am glad to say that the work placement exceeded all my expectations.

Audrey Domise, April-June 2012

In order to complete my Masters in British Studies at Humboldt University, Berlin, I decided to do a three-month internship at the European Documentation Centre in Cardiff. I chose to come to Cardiff because, having written my masters thesis on the use of the Welsh language in the marketing of Wales, I was very eager to discover Wales myself. I also wanted an internship with a strong European dimension and the EDC was perfect for that.

Anna Wilczewska and Ewelina Bruździak, July-September 2012

We are both students of International Economic Relations at the University of Gdańsk, Poland, and one of our interests is closely connected with international relations between European countries. That is why we were very pleased to become interns at the European Documentation Centre in Cardiff.

Marianne Mujunen, October 2012-February 2013

I’m studying for a bachelor degree in International Business at Centria University of Applied Sciences, Finland. As a part of my degree I worked in Cardiff EDC as a full time intern for 4 months. I enjoyed my time in Cardiff and I can recommend this experience for other students who are willing to do a placement in the UK.

Alessandro Sitzia, March-May 2013

I came to Cardiff in March 2013 for three months to do an internship at the Cardiff European Documentation Centre. I chose this internship because I have a strong interest in the European Union and different European cultures, and I was sure that the United Kingdom and in particular a European Documentation Centre would be the best for my first work.

Now in May, three months after my arrival I’m really satisfied about everything - the country of Wales, the city of Cardiff and in particular this work experience at the Cardiff EDC. The environment is fantastic, with lots of people from all over Europe in the EDC office and students from all over the world in the Centre.

Frederico Rocha, February-July 2013

I started my internship at the European Documentation Centre (EDC) on 1 February 2013. Looking back, it is difficult to fully put into words the magnificent experience I had with the opportunity to live in Cardiff for the past half year. Before coming to work with this team, I had just concluded my Master Degree in Political Science from Nova University of Lisbon, and I was seeking a new challenge which could further improve my personal and professional skills. Now that I have concluded this chapter, I can say I have achieved that and much more.

Ariane Apodaca, July-August 2013

After finishing a master’s degree in Marketing and Communication, I wanted to gain practical experience in an editorial position and the Cardiff European Documentation Centre seemed the best place to do so. The internships offered in the centre not only offered me the possibility to do editorial and marketing work but they also allowed me to do so in a multi-cultural environment. Needless to say, I was over the moon the minute I found out that my application had been accepted back in November 2012.

Lilla Farkas, August 2013-January 2014

When I applied for the internship at the Cardiff European Documentation Centre, I thought that it would be a great opportunity to gain some professional experience, as I am studying towards a Master’s degree in International Relations (with a specialisation in European Studies) at the Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest. Now that I have finished the internship, I can honestly say that this work placement gave me much more than I was hoping for.

Sophie Lobig, September 2013-February 2014

As part of my Master's degree in British Studies, I came to the European Documentation Centre (Cardiff EDC) in September 2013 in order to gain some working experience in the UK. I chose the EDC because it offers the opportunity to experience the work of a British organisation with a strong European dimension. The EDC provides balanced information about the activities, policies and the impact of the European Union which I find very important, given the strong scepticism the EU is facing in Europe nowadays.

Raphael Tservenis, February-May 2014

The reason that I applied for an internship at the Cardiff European Documentation Centre was a visit in the previous year. I was lucky enough to visit the Centre because of my girlfriend (Paola Sanna) who was an intern here in 2013 and to see by myself that the facilities and especially the people that worked here were great, a fact that Paola confirmed too. When I applied for the internship later in 2013, I thought that it would be just a good way to finish my Master Studies in Political Science at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki but now that my internship has come to an end, I could definitely argue that this work placement gave me even more than I was hoping for.

Princy Bourdeaud'Hui, February-June 2014

During our two years of Master’s in Multilingual Business Communication at Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), we have the opportunity to do an internship in order to practice what we learnt during our years of theory at University. That opportunity is one of the strongest assets of the Master’s and provides a real plus to its students. It allows them to have a first look inside a company or an organisation and moreover to gain a first experience to write down on the CV.

Learning about the European Union and the countries of Europe are domains in which I have a keen interest, mainly because I would like to work in a ‘European environment’ after my studies. So, I decided to apply for a trainee position at the Cardiff EDC.

Gauthier Monté, May-August 2014

My name is Gauthier Monté, I’m 19 years old. I’m currently in the second year of my Bachelor degree in Business and Management at Montauban (near Toulouse in the SW of France). I came to Cardiff in May 2014 for three months to do an internship at the Cardiff European Documentation Centre. I chose this internship because I have a strong interest in the European Union and different European cultures and also for improving my level in English language. But, to be honest the main reason why I’m here was to meet other Europeans.

Iris Eibensteiner, July-August 2014

I got the chance to do this internship at the European Documentation Centre in Cardiff as a part of a course at the University of Salzburg/Austria called ‘Library and Information Studies’ which I finish in October 2014. This gave me the opportunity to improve my knowledge about libraries, library systems and information / documentation centres. My internship was for two months, from July to August 2014.

Selene Moscardó Navarro, September 2013-September 2014

My name is Selene, I am 25 years old. I am studying my last year of my Bachelor’s Degree in Library Science at Universitad Politècnica de Valencia (Spain). I started my internship at the European Documentation Centre (EDC) at Cardiff on 2 September 2013 and it lasted a year. I think this was one of the most wonderful experiences I have ever had. I do not think I can express in words all that I experienced this past year.

Laura Paatelainen, June-September 2014

I arrived in Cardiff at the end of May 2014. It was late, outside it was dark and rainy, and I was sitting in a bus on the way to what would be my hometown for the next few months, not knowing what to expect. I had lived abroad before, but was still feeling nervous. What if I wouldn’t be any good at my job? What if I would be lonely and unable to make any friends? Luckily, four months later I am able to say that my fears were unfounded and that I had a wonderful time at the Cardiff EDC.

Aysylu Gimranova, September-November 2014

I am a Master's student of the Centre for British Studies at Humboldt University in Berlin, and a three-month internship in the United Kingdom is an essential part of our programme. When I was deciding on a place for the internship, Cardiff EDC was my first choice as it offered an opportunity to work in an international atmosphere and gain knowledge about the European institutional framework, EU law and current affairs in the European Union. Also a decisive factor was the fact that two other students of the Centre for British Studies participated in the Cardiff EDC internship programme in previous years, and they both were very pleased with their experiences here.